Lai Heen in Macau offers elevated Chinese fare

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Situated on the 51st floor of The Ritz-Carlton, Macau is the city's highest Chinese restaurant, which aims to take the cuisine to the next level.

We were pleased to find that no amount of attention to detail is spared when it comes to the food, service and overall ambience. The décor has subtle nods to Macau's Chinese and Portuguese heritage, and there are five private dining rooms named after different gemstones from ancient Chinese culture: Amber, Gold, Jade, Lapis Lazuli and Pearl. In fact, Lapis Lazuli is the biggest private dining space in the city, with a capacity to seat more than 20 guests, and the space is as extravagant as it is elegant.

The food is overseen by chef Fu Man-piu. He previously served as sous chef at Tin Lung Heen in The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong and helped the restaurant to earn its two-star Michelin rating. Now in his first venture as head chef, he makes a great effort to ensure every dish is meticulously prepared.

The menu we tried would satisfy the most discerning gourmands. We sampled many of the chef's signature dishes, including the char-grilled barbecued Iberico pork, the steamed crab claw with egg white in lobster bisque, and our favourite, the delectable chef's special of braised pork belly with preserved vegetables.

The wine list offers over 500 labels, and we opted for a Luis Pato Pé Franco 2008 that paired particularly well with the pork dish.

As a treat, the chef prepared a delicious dessert platter of milk jelly with pumpkin sauce and dried blueberry, chilled rice flour dumpling filled with pumpkin cream and tofu jelly.

In a city overflowing with Chinese restaurants, it's personalised touches such as this that will serve to elevate Lai Heen above the rest.

LAI HEEN
51/F, The Ritz-Carlton, Macau
(853) 8886 6868

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Elevated Chinese fare